


A Night to Celebrate

by black_rose4



Series: Unfinished Business [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 13:42:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4394108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_rose4/pseuds/black_rose4
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor has stopped the assassination of Empress Celene and is taking a much-needed break outside. Company joins her, though it is not unwelcome. </p><p>AU where Hawke stays to helps defeat Corypheus. Bryanna belongs to me, Seymour belongs to a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Night to Celebrate

She was alone on the balcony when he finally found the Inquisitor, head titled back to look up the night sky. The giant green tear still split the sky, but past it the stars were out. On another night Seymour might have taken a moment to admire them, but right now his attention was elsewhere.

He approached her slowly, making sure she heard his footsteps as he approached her and joined her by her side. “I should’ve guessed you’d be out here. I don’t know about you Inquisitor, but after tonight’s events, I could use a drink.”

Bryanna eyed the glass in his hand then shook her head. “I don’t drink much.”

Hawke, however, seemed determined. “Please, just take it at least. I hate drinking alone. You can pretend to drink it, how about that?”

She eyed him for a moment before finally taking the glass from his hand. Wine. Most likely from somewhere he shouldn’t have found it, given that none of the servers were carrying this particular blend tonight. She sniffed at the drink then took a sip, deciding that perhaps alcohol would help after all. It had been a long night, too long, and maybe a drink was just what she needed. This was a night to celebrate.

“You know, this makes a nice change.” He paused a moment, giving Bryanna time to make a questioning noise, prompting him to continue. “Well normally when I come to events like this, someone dies. Usually the host. And for once the host _didn’t_ die on me.” He chuckled and Bryanna couldn’t help but join him. He found himself staring at her as she laughed, eyes flitting over her lips as they pulled back into a smile. Maker, that was a beautiful smile.

“Honestly, I’m surprised it went so well. I did not plan to resolve things the way I did, but well, it seems that’s what I’ve done.” She exhaled a laugh and stared off into the distance again, looking up again at the night sky. She seemed lost in thought, something Seymour had apparently interrupted. “This is all so much harder than it looks. Nothing I’ve ever read was quite like this and it certainly didn’t prepare me as much as I’d hoped it would.”

“If it’s anything to you,” Hawke said, “you’re good. Much better than I ever was. I mean, you just saved half of Thedas in a single evening. I know it might not mean much coming from me, but someone has to say it because something tells me that you aren’t told that anywhere near as much as you should be.”

Bryanna wasn’t sure how to respond. It was true, she rarely heard praise for how she handled situations, though she assumed that no praise meant she was doing well. Normally one only heard criticism if anything. And by that logic, since she had heard nothing then surely things must be going well. But he was right. It was nice to hear that she wasn’t doing terribly at this saving the world and restoring order malarkey. It made her feel like someone actually gave a damn about her as a person, not just Lady Trevelyan, the Inquisitor and Herald of Andraste.

She’d been having that feeling more and more lately. Ever since Seymour had decided to stick around to help defeat Corypheus in fact.

She shook her head slightly, clearing her mind of that train of thought. That was a dangerous road to go down for both of them. And yet, whenever he sought her company to discuss a matter with her, she found herself eager to listen.

His voice interrupted the silence. “I’ll never understand people like those in there. Their indifference is just…I don’t know. After what’s happened in these last few hours, a sane person would want to go home. And yet here they are, still partying and drinking. I just…I’m baffled, you know?”

Seymour turned his attention back to Bryanna, his eyes on her making Bryanna turn to face him as well. “I hope you don’t mind me using you as an excuse to stay out here. I’d just rather not venture back in there just yet.”

“I quite understand. Why do you think I came out here in the first place?” She chuckled as she glanced over her shoulder, looking back at the ballroom behind her. It was still bustling, still loud. Maker, just thinking about going back in there made her head pound.

A sudden idea struck her then. Bryanna set down her glass on the stone railing and presented her hand to Seymour. Hawke, it seemed had a similar idea, the rogue setting his own glass down to offer her his hand as well. She exhaled a shaky laugh when she saw that they were both proposing the same thing. She closed her open hand after motioning for Seymour to go first.

He chuckled as he repeated the gesture, for show this time. “If I may go first?” Bryanna nodded and he continued. “My lady, may I have this dance?”

Bryanna paused for a moment, pretending to contemplate her answer. “I’m not entirely sure if I want to.” She grinned as she took his hand, laughing softly. “Oh, go on then. You’ve twisted my arm.”

“I assure you, given how long it’s been since I’ve done this, that’s a high possibility right now.” Seymour pulled her to him, his hand settling on her back whilst he kept hold of her other hand. He noticed how she shuffled closer than necessary and swallowed thickly, her body warm against his.

They danced in time with the music from the ballroom, dancing a basic waltz around the small balcony. Bryanna tried not to lead, despite her foot placements being surer than Seymour’s. She guided him where to go, gently nudging him in the right direction or clearing her throat when he put the wrong foot forward. But for someone who was supposedly so out of practise, Bryanna could hardly call Seymour’s dancing terrible. What finesse he lacked, he made up for in effort, twirling her under his arm or attempting a dip where possible.

“You’re really not that bad Seymour,” remarked Bryanna as she returned back into hold.

Seymour chuckled. “I’m only as good as my partner, my lady.”

They continued dancing in silence, no need for small talk. They were content to simply dance in their quiet little space, just the two of them. It was only when Bryanna pointed it out that they noticed the music in the ballroom had changed from its previous waltz to something a little more upbeat. “I’m not quite sure our waltz fits the tempo anymore.”

Hawke’s hand let go of hers, but his other remained on her back, loose enough for her to move away if she so chose to. Yet she found herself rather content to stay right where she was.

“This was nice.” He seemed to be unsure of what else to say, the rogue’s eyes flitting between Bryanna’s eyes and lips and away again. Did he…? Was he thinking what she was? Maker’s breath, she hoped so.

_What’s the worst you’ve got to lose?_

She found herself closing the space between them again, closer than before, body pressing closer to his, stretching slightly to reach his height. Her hand rested against his chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken as her lips pressed to his. He was still for a moment, his brain a few seconds behind what was happening. When he finally realised _she was really kissing him_ he responded, lips moving with hers. His fingers grasped at the material beneath them, holding onto her for fear of her disappearing. He couldn’t believe this was happening, but he would not let go, not yet. He knew he should, just as he figured she knew how terrible an idea this was. And yet it seemed they both wanted it.

He pulled away first, her lips chasing after his, a little too eager for her own liking. Seymour dropped his hands and stepped back, clearing his throat. “I, erm – this was…nice. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I need to go and… _reflect_ on the events of tonight.” Catching himself before darting off, Hawke bowed and took Bryanna’s hand in his, kissing the back of it then hurrying off back into the ballroom.

Bryanna stared after him as he left, cheeks flushed and breathing noticeably heavier than before. She raised gentle fingers to her lips, tracing them along where his had been, before quickly dropping her hand again and returning to her perch, leaning against the balcony’s railing.

She had no idea if what she’d just done had been a wise idea or not, but right now she didn’t care. She had saved the Empress and united Orlais once again. Surely she was allowed to take a risk of her own choosing as reward for such a grand feat.


End file.
